When I woke up this morning, I opened up the door to greet the Sun, and I pledged my love and allegiance to the Creator, as is my habit to do. Gazing up into the Heavens, I heard the Creator remind me to "Have a Red-Blue Day!".
The Ancient Ones throughout the Plains greeted one and other saying, "Have a Red-Blue day!", handing down this greeting to the younger generations, passing on the translated thoughts which mean "Have a Sacred Day!". This phrase was used in greeting one and other each Morning and came from our understanding that All Life is Sacred. The longer meaning was understood, for everyone knew that this greeting held a deep symbolic meaning. In short, it was just a greeting and for those with time to reflect, it helped your mind begin its meander along a Sacred Path of Thought.
All true teachings come from the Natural World and the Great Spirits. Many beings in the Natural World gifted this teaching to Humans. The Mandrill, the Bluebird and the Macaw, to name just three, but there are many others that carry this teaching as well.
There is evidence that the Macaw brought this teaching to the Plains People. Many of the Plains People still carry the feathers of the Scarlet Macaw on their regalia and when you visit Museums or attend Pow Wows you will see these feathers, in the centre of Eagle Fans, the position of honour. These winged rainbow birds, the Scarlet Macaws, carried the Red-Blue teaching on their wings for everyone to see. Look at a single feather and you will find that many of them are Blue on top, and Red on the bottom. Blue symbolising the Sea and Sky, and Red symbolising the Earth, showing the three tiers of Heaven, together on this one feather. This colouring, painted by the Creator, states these feathers and these birds are sacred, and need to be protected and treated with great respect. The feathers and the birds were traded by many tribes of Native People, throughout Turtle Island (the Americas).
The symbolic meanings of the colours Red and Blue need further explanation to be understood once again. A reminder is needed, to show everyone how the Creator shared these teachings with the Children of Earth.
Red symbolised many things. First, it is the colour symbolising the Earth, our first Mother and the colour we associated with her Love for us. We knew we were descended from Her. It was the colour of the blood that flowed though our veins and we knew that if the blood flowed out of us, then our life was over. The Blood holds the Life Force and Energy (Chi, Ti, Ke) of all of us. So Red represented Life and was understood to be Sacred. All Life was held to be Sacred. Our Mother gave Bodies to every form of Life and Her Spirit and her Love flows through All Life. Our Red blood shows us we are all related no matter what colour of skin you have. All Humans belong to the same Race (rais, raiz, radix radicis--"root"), the Human Race. We knew we were related to All Life. We also know Love flows from the Heart and our Mother, the Earth, is the Creator's Heart of Love.
EARTH>>>HEART>>>EART(H) Get It??? For this reason, we know the Earth will not die, for the Earth is the Creator's heart, and all that live in harmony with the heart, will live.
Second, the colour Red is called a Cardinal or Chief colour, meaning that the colour is common to everyone. A Chief or one holding a Cardinal Position, takes all life, including the common people, into consideration, before acting on any issue, so they may maintain the common good. The Chief often wears a red cloak(blanket) to indicate the conviction of the love, he carries for His People. Red is the colour common to everyone with a Conviction of Love.
Red man, is the meaning of the name given to the First Man, Adam, of the Jewish, Islamic and Christian faiths. The colour Red is often associated with fertility and passion. These teachings came from the Natural World through many messengers. In the teachings of the First Nations People, the Red Strawberry holds all the teachings a young girl turning into a woman, will need to know for her new role and natural elevation in life. In Austrailia, the Waratah, a stunning red flower, holds the teachings of love, blood and renewal, for women. In the Mediterranean, the Pomegranate, with its many seeds and bright red juice, carried the teachings of life, blood and fertility, to many people. The Red Rose is most often associated with Love and has also been associated with loves lost. In the history of war, the most memorable Red Rose was on the standard for the Lancasters (York-white rose), which flew in the War of Roses. Other Great Spirits, like the Cherry, a blossom of Spring, symbol of youth and virginity, throughout the World, carry messages to Mankind, like in Japan, where the Cherries red flesh, the colour of blood symbolised the self-sacrifice of the Samurai Warriors.
Blood, part of the Circulatory System was thought to be strengthened by those that carried Red Stones. The Ruby was thought to make one invulnerable. The colour Red is also a sign of danger and this teaching was once again taught to Mankind by the Great Spirits. Many poisonous Beings like the Coral Snake, the Lady Bird and the Cardinal wear the colour red, as a signal of warning for others, of their power, poison, and the important messages they carry for everyone to 'read'. Many beings know that they need to give a wide path to those wearing the colour red, and that harming the beings marked with red would be bad for their health.
The colour Blue is Sacred too. When we looked into the Sky we see the colour Blue. When we look at the Waters of Life, we see the colour Blue. We know the Sea and the Sky are one and the same. We understand that when the Light of the Sun changes, so does the colour of Blue. When you hold water in your hand, it has no colour. It is clear. To get the colour Blue, you need Light. Light is Knowledge, which in time becomes Wisdom. The Sky and the Water reflect the Light. So do the feathers on many birds, for they reflect the light of the Sun (Bluebird, Crow, Raven, etc.) Water is consciousness. The deeper the water, changes the colour of Blue perceived. The same with the water called Sky. The deeper your understanding, the deeper your level of consciousness or the depth of your perceptions. Like the water or sky held in your hand, your vision becomes clear.
When the Plains People said "Have a Red-Blue day" to one and other, they reminded one and other to "Walk in a Sacred Way" along the "Path of Light" that day and every day. It is said that everyone is given two Sacred days; the Red day for all things visible and the Blue day for all things invisible. The Red represents your Body and the life you live. The Blue represents your Spirit and the life you live. Each day you are reminded, of the potential you were given and the love and hope the Creator holds for you. He made you a Sacred Being, blessing you with two Sacred days, a Red and Blue day.
When the Plains People use the sacred colours, red and blue,(ocher)in ceremony, placing them on sacred objects, and painting them on their bodies or placing them on their hair, they use these colours to indicate that all the elemental spirits are included and have been invited to participate, in ceremony. In this way, they strengthen the Prayers being sent to the Creator through ceremony. The colours, red and blue have been used throughout time, by all Peoples in all the Families of Man.
To give other examples that All People understood the meaning of Blue as symbolising Sacredness, think about these things.
The Holy Family in Christian belief is depicted most often wearing clothes of Red and Blue. Usually, they wear Blue Cloaks, symbolising they were fully conscious beings, born of the Sea, walking in Light, ascending to the Sky, and belonging to Heaven. Red was worn for the Sacred Love of the Creator God, which they came to proclaim and share, through Sacrifice and Love.
The East Indian Peoples, the original Aryan Peoples, have a pantheon of gods, the most sacred of which is Shiva, who is part of a Trinity which includes Brahma(Creator), Vishnu(Preserver), and Shiva(Destroyer). They are most often the ones depicted with Blue Skin. Blue skin represents their Enlightened state and Holiness/Wholeness. Other Gods are painted blue too. The Sadhu, the ascetics and followers of Shiva, often wear Red or Orange robes, to let others know of their sacred calling and their willingness to live in a Sacred Way, following God.
The Scottish Highlanders, painted themselves with Blue Clay before battle calling in their Spirit Helpers. Today a blue ribbon is used on medals and awards, as a symbol of distinction and high honour for those that Sacrifice for others and show their Selflessness. The sacred leader of the Mongols, Genghis Khan, was descended from the Clan of the Blue Wolves. Blue Stones, like the Sapphire, symbolise Heaven and the attributes of Truth and Contemplation, which are said to bring clarity to the one wearing the blue stone. The Blue Bird carries the blessing of Happiness on its wing and is another spirit messenger. There are many other instances where blue is mentioned to indicate that a People remembers their relationships to the Sky Beings; the Star Beings, the Children of God, also known as Thunder Beings or Dragons.
These are just some of the thoughts we wanted to share with everyone about the colours Red and Blue. If you look around the Earth, you will find many other Sacred Beings that share the teachings and messages of these colours with everyone. Always remember that the Great Spirits are the physical manifestation of the Sacred and Holy thoughts of the Creator God and are Mankind's Greatest Teachers!
In the Spirit of Sharing and have a Red-Blue Day!
Lightening Woman
Traditional Healer and Spiritual Teacher